Page 45 of Lycans & Lattes

It took all night to even begin to temper the frenzy.

Twelve hours, running, hunting, raging at full tilt before I even dared return to town. When I finally stumbled back to the bakery at dawn, Eloise was waiting.

“Thank every fucking god, I was worried about you,” she snarled, storming over and wrapping me up in a hug. “Are you okay?”

Even with the sun rising, I could still feel the beast in my chest howling to break free. I’d been a fool to think one night could reset years’ worth of my pent-up nature. And as I pulled out of my sister’s hug, my eyes darted to the door.

“I need you to lock me in the storage cupboard,” I announced. “Where’s the padlock?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Wy, calm down,” Eloise replied. “I know it’s been a long time since you shifted, but things will settle down⁠—”

“You don’t understand,” I growled, scraping a hand down my face. “I ambushed her. I . . . I nearly shifted in her café.”

“You were attacked,” Eloise countered calmly. “The sigil was stolen from you. You were blindsided. That’s different. If you had known, you would’ve never put Willow at risk.”

My gaze narrowed. “How do you know about the sigil being taken?”

“Naphula told me.”

“Naphula?” I glared at her, pointing a finger. What did that demon know? And was her situationship with Eloise escalating? “Don’t think we aren’t going to circle back to that.”

Eloise huffed. “Even when you’re in the middle of a panic attack, you have to be a big brother, huh?”

“The look on her face, El—” My throat constricted in panic. I wished I could wash the image from my mind. I’d scared Willow. She’d thought I was going to hurt her. I had hurt her. It made my insides curdle just thinking about it. “What happens when you are driven to protect your mate, but the person you need to protect them from is you?”

“Have you even talked to her about this yet?” She softened her tone, assuring me. “Willow will forgive you.”

“I don’t think so.”

“She’s tougher than you give her credit for,” Eloise insisted. “She told off Mom, need I remind you.”

I rasped out a laugh. “True.”

“Listen.” She clapped me on the shoulder. “I’ll be working down here for the next few hours. Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap? If you have the sudden urge to go rogue, I promise I’ll scruff you and lock you in the storage cupboard, deal?”

I smiled half-heartedly. “Thank you.”

“And tonight, we’ll shift and go for another big run. And once you get that out of your system, sigil or no, you need to go talk to Willow.”

Nerves tied in my gut again. I didn’t know how I was going to face her. The way I’d bitten her, my animalistic drive to mate with her . . . I clenched my jaw so tightly my teeth groaned.

I always knew this would be too much to drag a human into, even one as strong as Willow. With the sigil was gone, I didn’t know what else to do but announce to the pack that we had to move. I refused to run Willow out of town, but now that I’d shifted again, I knew I could never go back. It was as if my body had been altered forever; I would have to claim the role of alpha and live and die as the leader of my pack.

There would be no more choice, no sigil that would stop me. I would be the alpha and I’d have to rule forever . . . with Willow or alone.

21

Willow

After talking with Diana at Bones and Tomes Bookstore, Harlow and I stopped by Midnight Market to see Billy.

I thanked him for setting up the donation table and offered him free scones for the rest of my life, but he refused, stating, “We take care of our own, you know that.” Which made me come dangerously close to crying.

But the warm and fuzzy feelings I had for our town mayor and the leader of the monster clan all died when he shared the bit of town gossip that had been floating around: According to “eyewitness accounts,” Wyatt and I’d had a falling out that had resulted in him leaving in a fury, breaking his vow to remain in his human form, and ending our relationship. Everyone suspected it was all because we had dinner at his mother’s house.

Was his mom the one fanning the fires of this speculation? Had Wyatt told her he’d broken up with me? Were we broken up?

Being told that you’d been dumped by someone other than your romantic partner was shocking enough, but knowing the whole town knew before you did was extra salt and vinegar in the wound.